Lumix DMC TS1 (FT1 in Europe) samples

VIDEO VGA resolution.

Lumix TS1 records good VGA videos: White balance, exposure and contrast are better than any specific 'helmet' cam that I know.

Angle wide (28 mm equivalent) is enough for helmet use, it is waterproof and seems strong for outdoor sports.

Internal stabilization works moderately good in VGA resolutions but it's not infalible. I would prefer that TS1 had the possibility to turn off the steady function. (I think that PC software would improve their results).

enduro Onda 09 from montonm on Vimeo.

This video was edited with Premiere Elemments that forces me to work at 1280x720 and then to resize to its original resolution at 640x480 with VirtualDub (That may be one cause of noticeable pixelation in Vimeo. You can download best sample HERE)

Most of these sequences have not been stabilized by software, and there are some shots with other cameras.

MY FIRST VIDEO HD:

Recording at HD resolution (720p) is superb to make impressive images but is more difficult to obtain smooth sequences. The Lumix TS1 stabilizer works worse than in VGA resolution, and PC software may not prevent all shakes.

Another little problem with HD is that angle wide is the same, but  image format is narrowed. It's more difficult to frame the subject.

Las emboscadas de la Bicuerca from montonm on Vimeo.

This is my first complete MTB video in HD (720p) resolution. Only a few sequences have been stabilized in the edition process.

An aditional difficulty in european model (FT1) is that Lumix records only 8 minutes continuously (15 minutes in "AVCHD lite" compression).

H.EXP. 1.2 -return to origins-

Cycle is closing and I have retorned to similar mounting system that I had used at first experiences about helmetcam.

Cable-Cam, by Bri

The idea is simple: A taut cable between trees and a camcorder moving along and recording incredible footage. This is not 'Helmetcam' anymore, but it's 'experience', isn't?

Choosing stabilizer

Stabilization test. A little shaken MTB path from montonm on Vimeo.

Improving H.EXP 7.0: 7.0+ and 7.1+

The H.EXP 7.0 was designed thinking to put every kind of cameras in, but obviously cameras with light weight and small size makes to wear the helmet more comfortable. Recently I bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC FT1 (TS1 in USA) and I was looking for the best way to carry it on the helmet.

CMOS: wobble - jello effect -

In my first experiences with wobbling of footage after stabilization process,I thought it was caused by cheap lenses distorting the images, but the main factor is the CMOS sensor inside many photo cameras, video cámeras and most of 'one-piece helmetcams' that you can buy.
It is the result of operation by 'rolling shutter', opposite to 'global shutter' usual in CCD sensors.

7.0 (universal mounting)

Everytime that I start a experiment, I expect it will be the definitive. One more time, I was sure that it would be in this way.

Face-Cam from La Palma

A speciality of HelmetCam that occasionally you can see in the web is when the camera focuses directly to the face of rider. The first video I saw was THIS from Ft William taken by Sam Hill. (Probably it is well-known),
The next is a video recorded by Spiri and Ruben, in La Palma, (Canary Islands, Spain), and they recorded too a 'How to do' where we can see exactly how they did it:

el pino 08 on board (Jeta-Cam) from montonm on Vimeo.

H.EXP 6.1 -cam-back-

After of (relative) success of chest-cam, completly integrated in the backpack, I tried to do something similar but looking backwards. The objective was to obtain a clean image, without the hump that usually appears when you put the camera at helmet.

H.EXP 5.1 -camera at stern-

Recording backwards videos is easy with a bullet-cam. But you need change the angle of the camera or to use a second clip, better. In this experiment I was intending to put the cam behind helmet enough to avoid the usual close-up of the backpack. (I did not achieve it...)

H.EXP 4.1. -chest-cam-

This is a mounting to hold the bullet-camera in the chest, fastened to the strapes of backpack.

H.EXP 3.1. -not everything is invented-

We continue experimenting. Now trying to put the cam in a lower position to include handlebar into the frame.